1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to toy entertainment devices, and more particularly to a toy having one or more intelligent elements configured to mimic the appearance of person, animal, vehicle or other character and adapted to perform specified actions upon encountering one or more environmental elements.
2. Description of Related Art
A variety of different toys are known that comprise individual objects configured to mimic the appearance of a person, animal, vehicle or other character for use in combination with objects configured to simulate an environment in which the character can perform real or imaginary life activities. For example, the Fisher Price® line of Little People® products encompasses toy people, animals and vehicles that can be manually positioned and moved in and amongst various structures such as house, barn or castle. Battery powered robotic toy objects are also known that can operate in conjunction with environmental elements, such as battery operated cars configured to run on a track, battery operated baby dolls programmed to engage or interact with a toy baby bottle or pacifier, and robotic pets programmed to make movements or noises that simulate a real life animal.
While robotic or battery operated toys are more life-like than non-powered objects, the robotic toys that exist in the toy industry to date are limited in their ability to provide a real life experience, because most of these robotic toys require the use of a remote control or specific commands from a child to operate. The toys do not operate “on their own” outside the control of the child.
One exemplary embodiment of the present invention is directed to an intelligent toy hamster. Real hamsters typically live in habitats comprising tubes, tunnels, and the like. The habitats are assembled and expanded upon with accessories such as hamster balls or exercise wheels to enhance the entertainment value of the pet. The pets that dwell in these habitats move about under their own will and are very enjoyable to watch. Unfortunately, pet hamsters require a great amount of maintenance. For instance, pet hamsters require food and water, and generate waste that needs to be cleaned-up regularly. It would therefore be advantageous to provide a toy hamster that supplied the same entertainment as a real hamster but without the maintenance requirements. Existing toy pets that utilize a remote control or respond to specific commands of the child do not provide the complete experience of a real pet that has a “mind of its own.”